308 pistol

[my82cam]

Well, I deer hunt up in Indiana and they have real goofy hunting regulations.  One of them is you can use handgun cartridges in rifles and rifle cartridges in handguns.  I have been hunting up there with my 458 Socom and it's good out to 200 or so yards but haven't wanted to push it much farther as ballistics don't look.  So, a light bulb went off inside my head.  I called Indiana and made sure an AR style pistol is legal and they said yes, a lot of people hunt with 300blk pistols.  so, I asked them how long they barrel could be and they don't show a barrel limit.  Next step? I emailed the Nashville ATF field agent and he verified that there is no legal limit to how long a pistol barrel can be, as long as it can't be fired from the shoulder with a stock.  so, another light goes off in my head.  I have a really good shooting rock river LAR8 with a 20 inch barrel and a zeiss HD5 scope with dial turrets and a YHM TI suppressor that can reach out and touch something.  Since my lower left the factory as a rifle it can't be made into a pistol, so, now I am looking to buy a RRA LAR lower(making sure it left the factory as "other") to be turned into a pistol.  It almost seems wrong to build a pistol with a 20 inch barrel and a suppressor hanging off the end of it :pleased:

[raildog]

You got to do what you got to do use to play golf with a guy that had a .38sp with a 28" barel keep it in his bag for snake's and such

[Oh Shoot]

What's advantage of using a handgun up there to deer hunt? Special extra season or something?

 

- OS

[Jonnin]

um, you can do that here too.  You can hunt here with say a 357 or a 44 rifle and you can hunt here with a 308 pistol too.   Get you a desert eagle BFR 45/70 or something :P   (I actually would but they cost too much for what little use I would get out of it).  I think it comes in 308 and a bunch more.  

[Oh Shoot]

um, you can do that here too.  You can hunt here with say a 357 or a 44 rifle and you can hunt here with a 308 pistol too.  .

 

Hell, you can hunt bear here with a .25acp derringer if you want. I think that would make things a lot more fair, actually. ;)

 

- OS

Edited September 16, 2015 by Oh Shoot

[my82cam]

Their firearm season is limited to rifles with handgun calibers over 357 diameter and a certain case length or handguns with pistol calibers 243 or bigger and no case length.  They tried to change the law this year to use centerfire calibers, like TN, but it got shot down.  With all the flat fields they are afraid people will try to shoot 800 yards when they shouldn't even be shooting 200 yards.  Most people just buy a lever action 44mag or something like that to hunt with.  most people don't make a 308 pistol with a zeiss scope :) 

[my82cam]

A 38 special with a 28 inch barrel? I would have to load that thing with snake shot and try to shoot clay pigeons with that thing!

[LI0NSFAN]

Are shotguns allowed? The part of Michigan I am from only allowed shotguns to hunt. I have had some good luck with that. They make some really accurate slugs now, I wish they had those when I was up there.

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

[DaveTN]

You read the law that exempted handguns from the case length provision?
.308 is illegal to hunt with in Indiana; the case is too long.

[my82cam]

As I read it in the 2015 Indiana hunting guide, the minimum case length for a handgun is 1.16 inches without the bullet, fire a .243 or bigger and have at least a 4 inch barrel. Minimum case length for a rifle is 1.16 inch with a maximum length of 1.8 inches.
If there is something I have missed please show me where it is, but 308 as I understand it is legal for handguns to shoot but illegal for a rifle to shoot. Hence the reason I'm making a pistol.

[my82cam]

Yeah, shotgun slugs are allowed but that doesn't have the range my 458 socom has. Hoping my 308 will extend my effective range in those big fields.

[sybo]

Why not just stay with the 458 Socom?? AWESOME round!

[my82cam]

Yeah, it is a great round but I want to shoot more than 200 yards.  If it were legal I would use my custom 300WM but I can't.  These fields I hunt in are 1000 yards long.  I want to sit in the middle and shoot any day in the field.  A 308 pistol would accomplish this. 

[Jct1911]

Have you ever shot a 308 pistol? Do you think you can make 500yd shots without a stock?

Honestly, I'd look at a more stable platform. TC Encore is excellent.

Another idea, you've got a 458, if you reload, you could go to a lighter bullet to increase velocity and improve trajectory or the new 375 socom has promise as a longer range cartridge with improved ballistics.

[my82cam]

The good thing about an ar10 pistol is the buffer tube still provides great stability when your face is pressed on the tube.  My blinds have wood frames around them, so, I would have a nice support all the way around to rest the gun on it.  I am very confident in my ability to shoot 500 yards with that platform and steady rests. I believe it would be harder to be accurate with the encore, although, I could buy a barrel and try it.   I do reload for my 458 and am using a 325gr bullet.  I don't see dropping down to a 250gr bullet getting me another 300 yards on top of what I am currently able to do.  375 socom? haven't heard of that one yet, maybe my 458 will get a younger brother :)

Edited September 17, 2015 by my82cam

[Oh Shoot]

Have you ever shot a 308 pistol? Do you think you can make 500yd shots without a stock?

 

Put extended buffer tube and Sig brace on it -- and don't invite Max Kingery along on the hunt. :)

 

- OS

Edited September 17, 2015 by Oh Shoot

[Spiffy]

I think you'd be better off with a used Thompson Contender. They have various barrel lengths/ caliber combos and are tapped for rings.

[Wingshooter]

:rofl: :rofl: I'm not sure what just happened... MonkeyLizard's avitar was showing up anywhere y'all put a :) icon :rofl: :rofl: I'm on my ipad and should have took a screenshot. I'm back to normal now after a browser refresh. Not sure what was going on there especially since he hasn't even posted in this thread :rofl: Weird



I think I would have a difficult time shooting a 20" 308 pistol. You would have to shoot it supported like from a bench I would think. Edited September 18, 2015 by Wingshooter

[Jct1911]

I think you'd be better off with a used Thompson Contender. They have various barrel lengths/ caliber combos and are tapped for rings.

Contender can't handle .308. It's rated at 55k psi max. Go for the bigger encore and it opens up many possibilities.

[Jonnin]

As I read it in the 2015 Indiana hunting guide, the minimum case length for a handgun is 1.16 inches without the bullet, fire a .243 or bigger and have at least a 4 inch barrel. Minimum case length for a rifle is 1.16 inch with a maximum length of 1.8 inches.
If there is something I have missed please show me where it is, but 308 as I understand it is legal for handguns to shoot but illegal for a rifle to shoot. Hence the reason I'm making a pistol.

 

This is the most guntarded thing I have heard in a while, by the way.   THE GO-TO round for deer for a HUGE number of hunters is the ... 2 inch long ... 30-30.    Which your 308 pistol will probably outperform.

Edited September 19, 2015 by Jonnin

[SupaRice]

In places where shotgun is legal, but rifle isn't or only in pistol calibers.... I have one of these:

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/shotguns/model-870/model-870-sps-shurshot-synthetic-super-slug.aspx

I've taken deer at 120yd with it. Some say you can go 200yd, and from the damage it did to that doe at 120yd... I'd agree.

[ARO Matt]

What about a muzzle loader?

[monkeylizard]

:rofl: :rofl: I'm not sure what just happened... MonkeyLizard's avitar was showing up anywhere y'all put a :) icon :rofl: :rofl: I'm on my ipad and should have took a screenshot. I'm back to normal now after a browser refresh. Not sure what was going on there especially since he hasn't even posted in this thread :rofl: Weird



I think I would have a difficult time shooting a 20" 308 pistol. You would have to shoot it supported like from a bench I would think.

 

I'm everywhere! There is no escape!

[Wingshooter]

I'm everywhere! There is no escape!

That was funny. I wish I had taken a screenshot.

[my82cam]

Muzzle loaders are legal and so are slug guns.  I am trying to open up my effective range from my socom  which is good to 250 yards.  I wouldn't want to give up yardage and get a slug gun or a muzzle loader and have a 150-200 yard(I know I could go smokeless and build a high end one but that's not what I am after), the 308 pistol fits the bill as being a cheap alternative around their laws.  I talked with Indiana DNR Saturday and they said it is legal but they don't like it.  So, I will be hunting with it this year(unless I tag out by rifle season).  The 308 pistol is easy to handle and feels secure when handling it.  While sitting in my stand, I will be able to rest the rifle on the railing for support.  Won't be a problem to be accurate with this pistol.